THE government should set up an independent commission of inquiry into the purchase of military hardware, especially the Scorpene submarines and the Sukhoi jets, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said yesterday.

The opposition leader said the purchase of two Scorpene submarines worth RM4.5 billion through negotiated tender had attracted attention as a commission exceeding RM530 million had been paid to Perimeker Sdn Bhd owned by Abdul Razak Baginda.

She said Razak was an adviser to then and current Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Deputy Prime Minister.

She said in the purchase of the Sukhoi jets worth RM3.2 billion, IMT Defence Sdn Bhd, a company controlled by former Malacca chief minister, Datuk Adib Adam, was paid a RM380 million commission.

She said at the time, then deputy defence minister Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin had told the Dewan Rakyat that the commission had been paid by the companies selling the submarine and jets to the two local companies.
"But it does not take a genius to realise the commissions were actually paid by the government as the value of the military hardware was inflated to provide for commissions," Wan Azizah said while debating a motion of thanks on the royal address.

She made the call for an independent commission while raising a point on government integrity and public perception.